Vice President shops for school supplies with orphans in Gorontalo

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka took 119 children, including orphans from care homes in Gorontalo City, shopping for new school year supplies on Friday. At a department store in Gorontalo City, Vice President Gibran chatted with several children as they handed their chosen items to the cashier. “This is for when you start school,” he said.

Niko Ismail, Chairman of the Darul Qur’an Moosalamati Foundation and Vice Chairman of the Child Social Welfare Institution (LKSA), expressed appreciation for the opportunity given to 20 children from the care home he manages to meet their school needs ahead of the new academic year. “That was indeed our worry as care home managers—the school year was approaching, but where would the funds for the children come from?” Niko said. He described the opportunity as an unexpected blessing for the care home in Gorontalo City.

Meanwhile, one child named Putri Silfana Mamu, a Year 7 student cared for at the Safaz Ain Orphanage in Gorontalo City, said she was happy to have the chance to use a voucher worth Rp500,000 from Vice President Gibran to shop for school supplies. She then showed the contents of her shopping bag, which included notebooks, a uniform, colouring tools, and shoes.

Vice President Gibran arrived in Gorontalo on Friday (19/6) to visit the Bulango Ulu Dam and will open the XVII National Farmers and Fishermen’s Week (PENAS) 2026 on Saturday (20/6). On Thursday (18/6), the Vice President visited East Nusa Tenggara to observe the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme at two locations in Ende Regency. The visit to NTT marked the start of inspections across several regions from 18–21 June 2026. After Gorontalo, the Vice President is scheduled to continue his visit to West Papua, with an agenda to inspect the Ransiki Cocoa Production Centre in South Manokwari Regency and open the XIV National Church Choir Festival (Pesparawi) in Manokwari. On the final day of the working visit, the Vice President will proceed to South Papua via Asmat Regency to inspect several public facilities, including the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress, the Sago Field School, Agats Regional General Hospital, and the Holy Cross Cathedral Church.